Friday, November 25, 2011

Was Sarah Palin officially at the Mat-Su
hospital April 18, 2008?

Yesterday I reached the conclusion that Sarah Palin probably
never officially got a room at the Mat-Su hospital on the day she claims to
have given birth, April 18, 2008. And it's just not clear whether she was
actually at the hospital at all that day.

In her autobiography she claims she and Todd arrived at the
hospital quite late on April 17, after the 3,000 mile trip from Texas. This
seems like a lie. If she did not officially get a room, where would she have
slept? Of course, a hospital official could have given her access to an empty
room unofficially, but what would have been the point? She and Todd lived close
to the hospital and would have been more comfortable at home.

Yesterday I wrote that Andrew Sullivan anonymously quoted a
journalist who I assumed was Lori Tipton of KTUU saying she saw Palin at the
hospital. That indeed was Tipton he quoted, but she did not say she saw
Palin. Here is the full quote:

"Sarah [Palin] was in another room, and they said that she was
sleeping when we arrived. And so, we got a little bit of footage of Sally
[Heath] holding Trig, and Chuck [Heath] standing next to her. And Bristol
[Palin] was in there, and I said to Bristol, "We should get some footage
of you and your brother and your grandparents." And she’s like, "No I
really don’t like to be photo-graphed." And I said, "Are you
sure?" And she’s like, "Yeah, yeah, no." And she
didn’t have any make-up on or anything, but she was dressed in typical teenage
attire, a tight shirt, low-cut jeans, you know, and we had heard the rumors
before the delivery of this baby also, that Bristol was pregnant, and so, when
my photographer and I got to the hospital and we saw her, I thought, well,
clearly there’s no way that that girl just delivered a baby seven hours
ago."

I'm guessing Tipton had been tipped off about the hoax before
she arrived that day, and that in the quote above she's doing her darnedest to
help back up Palin's story without telling an outright lie that could bite her
later. (If you think about it, how could any real reporter who watched Palin's
shape-shifting over the previous six weeks not know about the
hoax?) So she stated as a fact that Palin was in another room, not qualifying
the statement by saying that she was merely told Palin was
there, and then focused on Bristol's appearance as a way to negate the birth
hoax rumors.

As I said yesterday, it would have been terribly risky to let
Tipton into that maternity suite without prepping her first – how else to keep
her from asking why a supposedly four-weeks premature baby who should have been
in a sterile environment wasn't – and I'm guessing McAllister and Palin decided
it would be best to bring Tipton in on the scheme, on the theory she would then
do all she could to help them. Likewise, if Tipton's cameraman was Carpenter,
he probably already was in the know, as I have explained in earlier posts.
(Incidentally, Palin worked as a sports anchor for KTUU in 2008, so her
connection to the station was long-standing.)

That leaves Frank Bailey as the only non-family or quasi-family
(i.e., Levi) member I am aware of who says he saw Palin at Mat-Su that day.
Here is what incisive commenter Ivyfree wrote about Bailey and his book
yesterday:

"I never trusted Bailey, and I don't believe his alleged
regrets and spiritual renewal stuff, either. He wrote a whole book to show what
he was willing to do for Palin, including lying and taking the blame for her
behavior, and it all sounds like all she'd have to do is call him and he'd be
right back doing the same thing. He said he saw Sarah at the hospital, and
Bristol, and that Bristol hadn't given birth that day, but he didn't say that
Sarah had. No: that whole section of Bailey's book is written in such a way
that when the truth comes out, he can make it work for either side of the
issue."

I don't trust Bailey either. In his book he backs up the idea
that Sarah gave birth to Trig, but he provides lots of evidence that suggests
just the opposite – especially that Palin and her staff, himself included,
spent a tremendous amount of time trying to rebut the rumors that Bristol gave
birth to Trig instead of just doing the obvious: producing the birth
certificate. So he makes himself look either hopelessly obtuse or willfully
ignorant.

Still, there was no clear reason for him to say he saw Palin at
the hospital if he did not. And there is no clear reason for Palin to avoid
being at the hospital from early morning on that day. After all, by being on
hand she could better react to unfolding events. What I suspect is true is that
Palin indeed was in an adjoining room as the interview took place and perhaps
throughout the day until the family left en mass – but that she was not in bed
and made no effort to look like she had just given birth. So I also think that
if Bailey saw her that day, he did so as one who was fully in the know of what
was happening.

Let's examine the pros and cons of Palin checking into the
hospital and getting a room vs. just appropriating an unused maternity suite
with the help of an insider. If she checked in to a maternity suite, there
would be significant expenses that could not legally be covered by insurance –
and the Palins were not rich at that time. Moreover, keeping a lid on all possible
leaks would have been more difficult. For example, the custodial crew that got
the sheets from Palin's bed would know no birth took place – and folks at that
level perhaps feel less bound by HIPAA than nurses and doctors. Also, checking
in would leave a longer paper trail and thus involve more employees who might
spill the beans.

On the con side, not checking in and not officially getting a
room meant Sarah could not pose as a beaming mother in bed holding her newborn;
the conspirators decided they would take that hit, and no such pictures have
ever surfaced. Also, staging any pictures of Trig would entail risk. They
apparently could not appropriate a cradle or an incubator in the newborn
section, so they had to show off Trig in a place he did not belong. And because
of that, they probably had to take Lori Tipton into their confidence. But
because she was quite young (like Gusty), they probably figured they could
seduce and control her with the promise of future access to the governor.

There's one more thing I'd like to note. Someone at Mat-Su
seemingly put his (or her) foot down and said, in effect, we will go along with
this charade so far, but not to the point of committing outright fraud on
Palin's behalf. At one point, Trig Palin's name seemingly appeared on the
hospital’s newborns web page, but then got yanked. Someone had searched the
underlying html code of the newborns page and Trig's name appeared. However,
those who searched in the usual way found nothing. A programmer at another site
explained that the page would "remember" all names that had been on
it, even if one got deleted.

It's hard to know for sure, but my take is this: one of the
Palins or maybe their Mat-Su insider friend requested that Trig's name and
picture go on the web page, and that happened for a short while – but when
someone high up, maybe the top administrator, saw what had happened, he yanked
it. So someone apparently was not afraid to say no to Sarah.

One thing: Ive spoken to Bailey on numerous occasions. He wholeheartedly believes Trig is sarahs. He even told me he would eat his shirt in public if he is not hers. Hes never said any of this and sounded like he was lying.

Also, remember there are still references to Bristol out and about over the holidays in 07. She and her cousins were seen in Anch malls. (laudens myspace wall)

I'm not saying Trigs sarahs bio son, but I do believe she covered her tracks well enough for the truth to never come out. I mean, NO ONE in her family knew a baby was on the way when she announced. I remember clear as day that all her kids were way shocked. Whats weird is, I also remember the kids speculating about a new sibling in Feb. Given all this, it is very likely no one but sarah and todd know the truth of trigs origins.

To Barb, while I do put stock in a lot of what you say, theres a lot that isnt verified and a lot of lies you believe to be true. You didnt even recognize the last name of a family the palins are close to, right after you said you knew all the AK "palinbots"

Thanks Brad. I see Patrick Appel's article is dated 12-8-08, but he doesn't say who at The Dish actually interviewed Lori Tipton and when was the actual date that The Dish interviewed her. Patrick Appel of The Dish was clearly trying to bury any speculation about Trig's origins. It is interesting to note that on 12-8-08 Appel wrote: "Forget about grainy inconclusive photographs: reporters saw Palin pregnant. This was one of the primary reasons Alaskan papers stopped investigating the story."That is an outright lie. Patrick Dougherty, the ADN editor, posted this editorial on 1-13-09: http://community.adn.com/node/136586in which he posted Palin's email to him and his response.

It was not until April 22, 2011 (3 YEARS LATER) that Wesley Loy suddenly recalled the following:http://www.salon.com/2011/04/22/trig_palin_wesley_loy/

Then she told me that some were even suggesting that she was pretending to have a baby as a way to cover for her daughter. She reckoned that notion came from a storyline on “Desperate Housewives.”

This was the first I’d ever heard of what has now become, as we know, a national obsession for some Palin watchers.

Anyway, Palin said it was all ridiculous. Then she backed her chair away from her desk to show me her (covered) baby bump, assuring me that, yes, she was pregnant.

Isn't it interesting that way back in March 2008, it was actually Palin who referred to the fake pregnancy on Desperate Housewives??

Lori could have been gullible rather than lying. Pretty typical for reporters now to repeat what they are told as fact. If the Heaths said Sarah was in another room asleep, Lori would repeat it. She's not there as an investigative journalist. It's a birth, a puff piece. Also, as Bob's girlfriend, she is inclined to like & believe the Palins and Heaths.

If Sarah slept at home, she would have made sure to go to MatSu while it was still dark. I think she probably had a room without being in the hospital admitting system. As long as there were plenty of beds, if you don't use nurses or meds, they could let you use the room.

The linen thing is pretty much a no-go. When you strip a patient's bed, the most common thing to do is pull off any disposable "bedding" like chux and throw them away and roll all the linen up tightly from the edges into the center of the bed, forming a tight mass of used linens. This is then typically deposited into a laundry bag which goes into the bin for the laundry service. The hospital might have its own laundry service, or might contract it out. Either way, the soiled linen isn't tagged, it goes into a central area and nobody will know where any particular bag came from or whose it was.

Furthermore, in mother-baby, if there is any bleeding onto the chux, it's rolled up and thrown away. The lack of blood on the bedding wouldn't be significant. Housekeeping wouldn't care, and if it was a nurse stripping the bed, she wouldn't care either. It wouldn't be unusual enough to trigger any thoughts other than "at least I don't have a blood mess on the sheets" which makes one a bit cautious about handing.

Brad OT: but interesting...The AG Caribou Crosshairs appointed before she left is Resigning!Rats jumping ship?Sullivan was a holdover from former Gov. Sarah Palin's administration. She named Sullivan, a former U.S. assistant secretary of state in the Bush administration, as attorney general in June 2009, a month before she resigned as governor.http://www.adn.com/2011/11/25/2188374/alaska-attorney-general-submits.html

Sorry, previous comment all I had time for on a fifteen-minute coffee break.

I think you are on to something with the not being officially a patient, but (aside from the fact that Palin is a notorious cheapskate, not paying hairdressers or baristas) it's not THAT expensive to spend a night in a hospital. In our hospital, it's about 2K. Yes, that is pricy for just occupying a room, but in the larger scheme of things, it's relatively easily paid off. Of course if you are using supplies... like IVs and meds and sterile birthing packs, etc... then the price goes up. But the room fee? Heck, throw it on the mastercard and take years to pay it off if you want. If that's all that was required, it's relatively easily done. Of course, if she was just spending time there as a favor, there wouldn't be a bill at all.

Of course, if Palin didn't check in, then all the questions about whether a high-risk birth would have taken place there, and if Mat-Su is legally at risk because of this, and why isn't JCAHO getting involved... simply don't apply.

I suppose the reason the hospital administration hasn't released a statement about Palin not having been a patient April 17-18, 2008, is because of pressure from above. A statement like that doesn't say she wasn't a patient elsewhere. Of course, Sarah may have forgotten that Trig's alleged birthplace was at Mat-Su and not in Anchorage, but I bet the hospital administration hasn't.

Ivy: Yeah, I guess Mat-Su's biggest worry is that someone on the inside apparently helped the Palins and Heaths take over a room. Who it was may come out in depositions. Would hospital staff take orders from a board member?

They prob got the room as a favor but remember the email where the ins wants TriGs BC? Was from the first MSNBC emails I think, then Todd has to Call them back? (instead of faxing said BC)So they either added TriG to Sarah's private ins or they billed the ins for something...

Brad there are also palinbots working at the Mat-Su, they would for sure look the other way... and if she came at like 4-5am in time for her 6:30am "Delivery" one of the board member could of set her up in a empty birthing suite. Then TriG or was brought via ambulance from Anchorage and the hand-off was complete.

"Then TriG or was brought via ambulance from Anchorage and the hand-off was complete. "

Wouldn't need an ambulance. If Trig was ready to be discharged, he would have been handed over to his mother or legally designated other and arrangements would have been made for followup care. The only concern would have been to make sure that he was in a legal carseat.

I still think Bristol smuggled him up to Mom in a sports bag. Unpack him from the car seat, put him in a sports bag padded with soft blankies, and leave the zip open so he doesn't smother. Up the elevator (or stairs) and over to mom- easy-peasy.

Ivy, yes you could be correct. Its all speculation, but, I would think if transferring to another hosp, a ambulance would of been used? But it all speculation. I'm pretty sure TriG wasn't released before April 17-18?

I don't think anyone other than Cathy Baldwin-Johnson needed to be involved in making a room available for a few hours at Mat-Su. Doctors are gods, especially at small, remote hospitals in the wee hours of the morning.

I also think it's extremely unlikely that people like Tipton and Carpenter are in on the hoax. No need; most 21st-century "journalists" just repeat what they're told.

A major reason why this conspiracy has succeeded is because so few people are involved. It may be that Sally and Chuck Heath don't even know the truth.

P.S. Please don't switch to Disqus. It's horrible. I haven't read comments or posted on palingates/politicalgates for years because of that awful software. Research it; you'll find a lot of complaints.

VN: Yeah, I've been trying to keep CBJ out of my speculation as much as possible, but that is because I admire her work with abused children and have been hoping she was simply used by Palin. But you are right – she cannot be excluded.

Nothing Frank Bailey has said or written can be trusted since he published a blatant lie by Palin that he knew was a lie.

In his book, he spoke of how upset he was about Troopergate and how he was just going to resign, he wouldn't take calls or acknowledge Sarah's texts to him. Then she called him and left a frantic message about Bristol. He was worried about her because according to what he wrote, "she was sobbing and couldn't get the words out as to what she was trying to say." He called her back and he said that is when Palin dropped her bombshell on him about Bristol being pregnant. He and his wife dropped everything and went over to the house. He said Sarah was so upset and she just couldn't handle the office without him at this point. Remember, this is August 2008, 3 months AFTER Sarah said in Going Rogue that she found out Bristol was pregnant. Does Frank bring up the fact that this was just another lie on Sarah's part to manipulate him? No, he ignores it despite the fact that most of the people who were going to read the book already knew Sarah had known for a few months that Bristol was pregnant. When he didn't acknowledge this in his writing of Blind Allegiance, there was the realization that none of what he was saying could be trusted. He was still trying to cover for Sarah even after she stabbed him in the back multiple times.

I'm surprised that his co-authors didn't say anything about this. I've asked on Mudflats but never received an answer that I'm aware of although I don't go there daily.

Sarah asked Bristol if she could adopt Tripp in Aug. When she finally reached the conclusion that wasnt going to happen, it devastated her further. Sarah probably realized then that she needed to start accepting Levi.

In Trailblazer, Lorenzo Benet (of People Magazine) says on page 187 that after delivering Trig in the morning, "She recieved a few visitors --old friend Linda Menard from her Miss Wasilla days dropped by --" One more suspicious "witness" that I wouldn't believe at all. But then, I think Linda and Track have the same dimpled smile.